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COLE STACEY

Intimate folk with a sense of place | South West multi-instrumentalist makes folk that feels like home

Cole Stacey Photo Credit: Peter Sevcik Pic
Cole Stacey Photo Credit: Mark Tipping Pic

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Intimate folk with a sense of place

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Involving Music is pleased to introduce you to Cole Stacey.

Dartmoor’s Cole Stacey creates thoughtful, earnest folk music that reflects the wild South West landscape he calls home. Whether adapting centuries-old writings in his lyrics or bringing his beautifully crafted melodies to the heart of a former priory, his music connects the past with the present.

After more than a decade on the road with two other musical projects, Cole is now forging a new chapter in his musical career with a solo project, with a determined mission to bring song to unexpected places. His debut album, Postcards From Lost Places, is a confident slice of pure alt-folk that embraces the sounds of the spaces where it was recorded.

Quick Highlights

  • Performed at Royal Albert Hall, Glastonbury, and Isle of Wight Festival.
  • Toured and recorded with Midge Ure for over a decade.
  • Debut solo album Postcards from Lost Places released in 2025.
  • Reworking of Visage’s Fade To Grey released on a digital and vinyl single, which charted in the Top 10.

Bio:

Who is in the band?

Cole Stacey – Vocals, Octave mandolin, Guitar, Piano, strange percussive sounds.

Where are you from? / Where are you based now?

I was raised in a Devon village that is hard to pronounce and I was brought up around Honiton. After travelling abroad for tours and life, it was only right that I returned to the country after a few years. I now live on the edge of Dartmoor, near the beautiful stannary town of Tavistock and the moors. Folklore plays a significant role in my songwriting and inspirations and allows me to stand still and hopefully get some perspective.

What are your musical influences?

I think as we change and evolve as people, so do our influences, but I have a real soft spot for Rick Rubin’s book, The Creative Act. I listen to a lot of The Gloaming, Phillip Glass (especially Madeira River), Paul Simon’s Hearts & Bones, Laura Marling and Leonard Cohen’s last two records. At the moment, I’m immersed in Jake Xerxes Fussell’s brilliant albums. From spending more than a decade in Midge’s band, there’s definitely some Ultravox always close to hand.

Tell us about your musical journey so far?

With my Dad owning a music shop and being surrounded by talented siblings, I was always immersed in music. Crucially, I was given support to nurture it from teachers and my parents. I was incredibly fortunate to have the most gifted musician as a best mate. We formed a folk duo that spread its wings and became India Electric Co.

There was a lot of fun in writing songs in our bedrooms and then hearing them played on Radio 2 or playing them at Glastonbury. In 2015, I started working with Midge Ure. What began as almost a musical apprenticeship has evolved into the most exhilarating and joyous path – he is truly a remarkable man. My first tours of Australia and New Zealand stand out, as well as the Royal Albert Hall and the big arena shows with The Human League. I get to be on and off stage with the most wonderful people and more than ever, it feels like a privilege.

Beginning a new chapter by immersing myself in lost places and writing a solo album has been incredibly cathartic. Whether it’s playing to ten thousand people or ten, it’s the connection of shared experience through song that shines brightly.

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About the latest release:

Live At St Nicholas Priory – March 2026

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“I’m delighted to share the recordings with you of 8 tracks that were lovingly recorded live in the Great Chamber of this remarkable 11th century by the wonderful Angus Price who captured not just the instruments and the voice but also the room itself. Some of what you’re hearing ended up on the small film we made with Abigail Barton. After being mastered by the legend that is Martin Nichols at The Whitehouse Studios.

“You feel the heartbeats of a thousand years” that’s what one of the custodians said to me when I first came here and I think that sums it up beautifully.

I want to capture something tangible of The Priory on these recordings, not just the song, the voice but the room itself, the voice of the place itself, we’re stripping it back and letting the room sing.

I hope you enjoy listening!

C.”

Catch Cole Stacey on Tour in 2026

Booking Email Address:

shoelaymusic@gmail.com

Editorial:

Cole Stacey: Dartmoor's Intimate Folk Maestro

The first word that comes to mind when you think of Cole Stacey’s music is; place. A quiet room with an upright piano and a single microphone, the historic stones of a Victorian clay factory or the wild, open plains of his native Dartmoor. Cole’s mission to evoke the history of where he is playing displays a clear understanding of how important the relationship between sound and space really is.

In the grand tradition of folk music, to know a place is to understand its people. When you understand the people, you can sing of the universal experience that unites them. It’s this insight that informed the ethos behind his debut solo album, Postcards from Lost Places, released in 2025. The album sees Cole distil the lessons learned from his years as a musical journeyman into a musical statement. On record, Cole embraces the background sounds from where he is recording that other artists may be keen to get rid of, like birds cawing, adding an authentic experience for the listener and allowing them to step into the world he’s creating.

My mission is to evoke the history of where I'm playing, showing how vital the relationship between sound and space truly is.

– Cole Stacey

Music was an integral part of Cole’s upbringing. His father owned a music shop, selling all manner of instruments to players of all genres. He and his siblings had ready access to a wide range of sounds to explore, joking that they had guitar cases rather than chairs and sofas in their home. Being surrounded by so much musical input created an encouraging environment, affording Cole the opportunity to try his hand at different instruments and write his own songs.

Inspired by the Devon landscape and local folklore, it wasn’t long before he and his childhood friend, Joseph O’Keefe, tried their hand at writing original pieces. This collaboration blossomed into the alt-folk duo India Electric Co., which launched them both onto the UK scene. The duo toured extensively to promote multiple albums and EPs, which brought them to the attention of Vienna singer Midge Ure. Impressed with their work, Cole and Joe were then invited to become a part of Ure’s band. They have now spent more than a decade touring, performing and recording with the music legend at prestigious venues and festivals worldwide, including the Isle of Wight Festival, Glastonbury and the Royal Albert Hall.

Cole Stacey Photo Credit: Abigail Barton

Cultivating the skills he has accumulated over a lifetime immersed in music and the decades he has spent as part of two beloved bands has given Cole the license to assert who he wants to be and what he wants to accomplish as a solo artist. When faced with worldwide tours to crowds of thousands, it’s understandable that his own music would embrace the lesser-seen corners and unconventional spaces, inspired by the open plains and quiet of the moors of his home.

As well as his debut album, 2025 also saw Cole release an adaptation of Ure’s 80’s anthem Fade to Grey in collaboration with the songwriter, but with a distinctly Cole flavour. He also released the first single from his album, All We Are, accompanied by a live version recorded at Calstock Arts on the banks of the Tamar, overlooking the border between Cornwall and Devon, which fully showcases the special approach Cole brings to his recordings and live performances. Owing to his abilities as a multi-instrumentalist, he also has the musical knowledge to pick the right tools for wherever he is performing, giving him the freedom to take the roads less travelled and bring his earnest, soulful songs deep into the bones of otherwise forgotten spaces.

Career Highlights

  • Performed at the Royal Albert Hall, Glastonbury, and the Isle of Wight Festival.​

  • Toured and recorded with Midge Ure for over a decade.​

  • Debut solo album Postcards from Lost Places was released in 2025.

  • Reworking of Visage’s Fade To Grey released on a digital and vinyl single, which charted in the Top 10.

  • Member of alt-folk duo India Electric Co., with Radio 2 plays and Glastonbury appearances.

Q&A:

  • The one thing I always take on tour is…One of my step-kids’ small cuddly animals, always, be it Snakey the snake or Mon Mon the monkey. Always coffee-brewing equipment, beans, a hoop, scales, etc. As dull as it sounds, a notepad and pen are always in my carry bag; there are so many observations and moments to capture on tour.
  • My most memorable gig (for any reason!) was…In a funny way, my first ever gig. It was a cold January evening at Sidbury Village Hall, and I was playing my own songs for the first time. It is a memory that stays by my side. It might have to run The Royal Albert Hall for a close second. Celebrating Midge’s 70th and playing all his hits was amazing, as I’d been there to see the Proms so many times and then getting to sing songs and play our India Electric Co. songs we’d written in our bedrooms was a wonderful moment.
  • The best crowd reaction I’ve ever had came when…I have to say it was a very special crowd at The Isle of Wight festival in 2025, performing with Midge. Emily, my wife, was in the crowd, and it felt like one of those gigs where you couldn’t stop smiling from all the positivity.
  • A lesson I learned the hard way on the road is…To trust in the things that have meaning for you and things that speak to the deeper part of who you are.
  • The best advice I’ve received as a musician is…Don’t be late! (Timekeeping is not my strong point, so I work very hard at this!)
  • My dream collaboration would be with…I wouldn’t have minded having a coffee and working on a small tune with Beethoven.
  • If fans only remember one thing about my live shows, I want it to be…I’m trying to curate evenings where people can come and see a concert in a unique and remarkable place. This might be an old fishing net loft or a UNESCO World Heritage cave; I’m trying to offer that connection to the space. They may not remember the words to the songs, but I hope they remember how they feel when they are immersed in a wonderful place.

Press:

Key Performances

  • The Royal Albert Hall
  • Sidbury Village Hall
  • Isle of Wight Festival
  • Glastonbury

Media:

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Gallery:

  • Cole Stacey Photo Credit: Abigail Barton
  • Cole Stacey Photo Credit: c)ToddeVision
  • Cole Stacey Photo Credit: Peter Sevcik Pic
  • Cole Stacey Photo Credit: Mark Tipping Pic

Featured events.

– Andrew Bate

Andrew Bate has been a professional musician, composer and writer for the last twenty years. He has written music for film, theatre, audiobooks, choirs and bands, and toured the country extensively as a musical director with a Cornish theatre company. He spent several years as a copywriter and studio manager for a travel company before joining the Involving Music team. Originally from Cornwall, he now resides in Gloucestershire, where he gets to immerse himself in the south west music scene as part of the duo, Saint Senara.